WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board has denied the Association of American Railroads’ request to extend the schedule for consideration of its proposed reciprocal switching regulations, meaning a hearing on the subject remains set for March 15. The AAR had asked for a 75-day continuance of the schedule, or, as an alternative, moving the deadline […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway’s plans to institute a new attendance policy while a new labor agreement is under negotiation is contrary to the terms of the Railway Labor Act, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen argues in a new court filing. The Thursday filing with the U.S. District Court in Fort Worth […]
Canadian National shocked the railroad world this week with the selection of Tracy Robinson, a Canadian energy executive and former Canadian Pacific official, as its next CEO. The surprise came mostly from the fact that she is not a marquee name in railroad circles and has been out of the industry for eight years. But […]
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern has installed five hybrid overhead gantry cranes at intermodal terminals in Chicago and Atlanta, part of an ongoing effort to replace existing cranes with hybrid or electric-powered units across its network over the next decade. The 60-foot-tall cranes are diesel-electric hybrids, which use battery power in normal use and battery and […]
CALGARY, Alberta – Other Class I railroads should not be able to use the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger process as a way to improve their competitive positions, CP CEO Keith Creel says. BNSF Railway, Canadian National, and Norfolk Southern have sought concessions related to the merger, which is currently under review at the U.S. […]
CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific’s fourth-quarter earnings declined due to a combination of harsh weather, a smaller Canadian grain crop, and costs related to the Kansas City Southern merger. CEO Keith Creel said on the company’s earnings call Thursday afternoon that while railroading is an outdoor sport, the extreme conditions in November and December tested the […]
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Steelmakers around the world continue to have a strong appetite for America’s metallurgical coal, with railroads in a position to benefit in 2022. The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s short-term outlook expects demand for coal used in steelmaking to increase 16% in 2022. Brazil and India have historically been the largest buyers of […]
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Sam Sexhus, a veteran of more than 25 years in Class I railroading, has been named as president and chief operating officer of short line company Patriot Rail. “Patriot Rail is experiencing tremendous growth, and Sam Sexhus’ leadership will enable the company to further solidify our shortline railroad footprint in the U.S.,” […]
WASHINGTON — Rail traffic continues to lag behind 2021 levels in the early stages of 2022, according to weekly statistics from the Association of American Railroads. For the week ending Jan. 22, 2022, overall U.S. rail volume was 477,462 carloads and intermodal units, a 9.8% drop from the same week in 2021. Through three weeks […]
Three Liberty ships, including the Cardinal Gibbons (closest to camera), are loaded at the Western Maryland’s Port Covington piers in Baltimore during World War II. WM photo […]
WASHINGTON — Short line holding company R.J. Corman plans to operate 154 miles of Norfolk Southern branches through a combination of acquisitions and leases in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia. R.J. Corman’s Knoxville & Cumberland Gap Railroad will acquire 112 miles of NS lines, including the Jellico Line from Clinton, Tenn., to Lot, Ken., and from […]
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern on Wednesday reported record fourth-quarter and full-year operating income as well as a record low operating ratio. CEO Jim Squires said the railroad hit or exceeded the three-year financial targets set in 2019 when NS adopted a Precision Scheduled Railroading operating model. “Through a multiyear effort, we delivered on our commitments, […]
